Chevrolet Impala SS, Cobalt SS, and HHR SS Models Dead

GM’s hemorrhaging continues, as the paring of Chevrolet’s SS lineup follows the announcement of Pontiac’s impending euthanization. While GM’s High-Performance Vehicle Operations were shuttered months ago, we were told at that time that existing performance models would live out their planned lifecycles.

Those lifecycles turned out to be shorter than we expected for the Chevrolet Impala SS—production of which has already ended—as well as the Cobalt SS and HHR SS. The Cobalt SS coupe will outlast the sedan, but both will be gone by the end of the 2009 calendar year. The Panel will be the first HHR SS to drop, while the regular, windowed version will hang around until the end of the 2010 model year.

While Pontiac will cease to exist at some point in 2010, company representatives tell us that it is uncertain which models will continue production until the bitter end and which will bow out early.

On the high end of the GM spectrum, Cadillac’s STS- V finds itself with an uncertain future, as the company is currently not taking orders for the car, but has not yet decided if it will resume taking them. On the other hand, Cadillac spokespeople are adamant that a solid business case exists for the CTS- V—which is currently accounting for roughly one-quarter of all CTS sales—and the scrumptious wagon is still on the roster for 2010, too.

Good news for Chevrolet enthusiasts is that the Camaro SS will remain untouched. And, not only does the Corvette still exist in all forms—base, Z06, and ZR1—but Chevrolet did recently add to that lineup the Grand Sport trim, which nicely splits the difference between the base car and the hairy Z06 beast.